Psalm 2, Psalm 2, I'm taking
the title for the message, Christ the King, Christ our King. Notice verse 6, God said, in
spite of all the rebellion of men, in spite of all the sinfulness
of men, God said, I've set my King, I've anointed My King,
and I've done so upon my holy hill of Zion, the Lord Jesus
Christ is the anointed Savior of sinners. This glorious psalm
is a gospel psalm all over. While it may have some reference
to King David, David reigned in Israel for 40 years, remember?
Yet it speaks plainly and loudly of the greater David the greater
David, the Lord Jesus Christ. He's king forever. David reigned 40 years. The Lord
Jesus Christ is the everlasting King. From everlasting to everlasting,
thou art God. This psalm tells us of His person,
of His mediatorial work, and His righteous victory as the
King of kings and Lord of lords, as the head and Lord of His kingdom.
Our great God and Savior does rule and reign over all things,
over all enemies, over all foes, and He rules and reigns over
all of His people. Aren't you glad that He's our
King? Whatever He does is right. His wisdom is perfect. His judgments
are right. This Psalm is referred to at
least three times in the New Testament. and always made reference
to the Lord Jesus Christ. In Acts chapter 4, where it says
the kings of the earth stood up and the rulers were gathered
together, Pontius Pilate and the Pharisees and all those things
gathered together against the Lord's anointed. They only did
what God determined before to be done. He actually used their
wickedness to accomplish his purpose. That's how wise and
great our God is. It's referred to again in Acts
chapter 13. where Paul uses that to show
us that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only begotten, well-beloved
Son of God, who died for our sins, but He was raised from
the dead, ascended to glory, and He is seated on the throne,
ruling and reigning over all things. Again, it's referred
to in Hebrews chapter 1, where it says, let all the angels of
God worship Him. The Father said to the Son, Thou
art God upon the throne. Now, there's a four-point outline
that we have in Psalm 2, verse 1 through 3. We see the rage
of the wicked, the sinful rage of wicked men. How long has that
been going on? Ever since Adam sinned. ever
since Adam sinned in the garden. Verses 4, 5, and 6, we see the
Lord's reign, His absolute rule and sovereign reign over the
wicked. He sits upon the sovereign throne undisturbed, undeterred
by the rage of the wicked. In verses 7, 8 and 9, we see
the Lord declares the decree of the gospel. His redeeming
love. His redeeming grace. As He says there in verse 7,
I will declare the decree. And that's the good news of the
gospel. The decrees of God. The decrees
of salvation. Salvation is by the Lord's decree.
And then the fourth point will be this, verses 10, 11, and 12. The Lord's instructions to us
to serve Him, to rejoice in Him, and to kiss and love Him, and
trust Him. It's a blessing to trust the
Lord, to love Him, to kiss the Son. Kiss the Son. Now let's see in verses 1, 2,
and 3, we see the rage of wicked men, rebellion of the enemies
of the Lord against the Lord and against His Christ. Verse
1, 2, and 3. Why do the heathen rage? Why
do they rage in such anger? Why do people imagine, meditate
upon such vain things? Vain things. Isn't it vanity
to think that a puny earthly creature can change the purpose
and will of God? The kings of the earth set themselves
and rulers take counsel together against the Lord, against His
way, against His rule, and against His anointed, that is the Lord
Jesus Christ. And here's what they say, let
us break their bands. the rule. Let's break it asunder. Let's cast away the cords of
God. I like what Brother Henry said
on this verse, verse 3. He preached the message in 1977,
I believe it was, and the title of the message was, Good by God. That's what they're saying. Let's
do away with God. Let us break their bands. Let's
cast away the cords from us. Good by God. We see here in these
three verses the inherent hatred and enmity of the carnal mind
and spirit against the sovereign rule of God. Wicked men will not bow to the
sovereign rule of God left to himself. And the reason why the
carnal mind, Romans 8, 7, the carnal mind is enmity against
God. It always has been since Adam's
rebellion and Adam's sin. That is the case of every son
of Adam born in a state of sin and rebellion against God. Depraved
men love darkness rather than light. Why do the heathen sinners
rage and kick and rebel against and hate the sovereign God of
the universe? They said, we'll not have this
man reign over us. Why do they meditate upon such
vain schemes as to end his authority, to put God out of business, to
be their own God? Isn't that what Adam tried in
the garden? The Pharisees tried that at Calvary,
didn't they? Pilate brought him forth and
they said, Pilate said, behold, your king. Remember what they
said? Away with him. We have no king
but Caesar. You crucify this man. Away with
him. Why? We see the ignorance. People are ignorant of the true
character of God. He's not who we think He is. God is no peanut God. God is
God, an absolute, holy, sovereign God. He does according to His
will in the army of heaven. and among the habitants of this
earth, and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, Lord God,
what doest thou? Whatsoever the Lord please, that's
what he does in heaven and earth, sea, and all deep places." So
men rebel against God because they're ignorant of the true
character of God. Secondly, they're ignorant of
the sinful character of their own
wicked heart. Self-righteous pride causes puny, sinful creatures
to rebel against God. Let me show you a verse here,
a few pages over. Look at Psalm 14. Psalm 14. The fool hath said, verse 1.
The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God. No God for me. They are corrupt. They have done
abominable work. There is none that doeth good.
This is quoted in Romans chapter 3. The Lord looked down from
heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that
did understand and seek God. They were all gone aside. They
were all together become filthy. There is none that doeth good.
No, not one. That's why men rebel against
God. They're ignorant of God. And
they're so full of self-righteous, sinful pride to rebel against
God. No fear of God before their eyes.
When God was manifest in the flesh, the Lord Jesus Christ
is not this exactly what they tried to do. They had tried to
enthrone their own will and say, away with Him, we don't need
Him, goodbye God. Preachers and pulpits today,
all over this world, are still trying to do the same thing,
aren't they? To cast off the sovereign authority of God and
raise up the flag of freewillism. To enthrone the human will. They
say things like, well, God is sovereign, yeah, but he will
not interfere with the creature's will. How silly is that? He better intervene. He better
stop our will or we'll perish in our sin. Salvation and eternal
life depends upon the will of God, not the puny, sinful will
of wicked men. You think God would plan all
this whole thing of salvation and have it all depend upon the
frail and fickle and sinful will of a creature? Whether it's successful
or not, God forbid, he said, he works all things after the
counsel of his own will. Of his own will begat he us with
the word of truth. It's not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth, but of God that shows mercy. Men may say goodbye, God. Let us break their bands. Let
us cast away God's cords of sovereignty over us. What's going to be the
result? Here's the second thing. God
still reigns. He's still on the throne. He
that sitteth in the heavens shall be undisturbed. As a matter of fact, he finds
it comical. He laughs. He that sitteth in
the heavens shall laugh. The Lord shall have them. in
derision. Then shall he speak unto them
in his wrath and vex them, trouble them, judge them with his sore
displeasure. Yet, yet I've set my king upon
my holy hill of Zion. God still reigns. God still upon
the throne. The Lord is not alarmed by the
puny mutiny and the rebellion of sinners, is He? He sits undisturbed
in the majesty of the splendor of His sovereign throne, quite
amused by the wicked rebellion of men. As it says there in Psalm
4, they only did what God determined before to be done. He shall laugh
at them, at their futile and weak opposition against God. He's still on the throne. He's
still seated on the throne. Turn over here to Psalm Psalm
37. A few pages over. Psalm 37. Psalm 37, verse 12. The wicked plotteth. You got
it? Psalm 37, verse 12. The wicked
plotteth. They practice wickedness against
the just, the just one, and they gnash upon them with their with
his teeth, the Lord shall laugh at him, for he saith that his
day is coming. All the kingdoms of the earth,
turn over to Isaiah 40. You familiar with this verse
too? All the nations before him, Psalm, Isaiah 40 rather. Isaiah 40, behold, verse 15. Isaiah 40, 15. Behold, the nations
are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust
of the balance. Behold, he taketh up the isles
as a very little thing. Lebanon is not sufficient to
burn, nor the beast thereof sufficient for burn offering. All nations
before him are as nothing. They are counted to him less
than nothing and vanity. God is not disturbed by the rebellion
of sinful men. The Lord shall have them in derision. He will look upon them in contempt
of His sovereign rule. Then will He speak to them, not
in love, but in His holy wrath and anger and vex and trouble
them in His sore and dreadful displeasure. His wrath against
sin is His holiness stirred into activity against our sin. Even when His wrath, as it says
in verse 12, kissed the sun, lest ye be angry, and ye perish
from the way, when His wrath is kindled just a little bit. I don't want anything to do with
the wrath of God. Thank God the Lord Jesus Christ
took all the wrath of God for us, and He gives us mercy because
He took our judgment. Isn't that good news? As the
sovereign of the universe, He does not need to step off His
throne to exercise His authority and sovereignty. He only needs
to speak a word, and it's done. Look over here at Psalm 33. Psalm
33. Look at verse 8, Psalm 33. The Lord doesn't even need to
get off the throne. He just declares the decree. Let all the earth fear the Lord. Let all the inhabitants of the
world stand in awe of Him. He spake, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood fast. The Lord bringeth the counsel
of the heathen to naught. He maketh devices of the people
of none effect. Verse 11, The counsel of the
Lord standeth forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God
is the Lord, and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. God is not disturbed by the rebellion
and sinfulness of men. Yet, he says, look at verse 6, Yet he says, I've anointed my
king. You see that word Seth, the marginal
reference is anointed. I've anointed my king. We know
that Samuel went down to the house of Jesse and anointed David
his king. And David, we know, is a picture
and type of Christ, our king. God said, I've set my king, I've
anointed my king upon my holy hill of Zion. Despite all opposition,
despite the malice of wicked men against God, despite all
the unanimous opinions of rebels against God, the Lord still reigns
supreme. He's not upset. He's not disturbed. He's not walking up there in
heaven, trying to figure out, wringing His hand, trying to
figure out what He's going to do next. That's not the God of
Scripture. God rules and reigns from everlasting
to everlasting. His rule and His reign is right.
Turn over here. We looked at this. Psalm 97 verse
1. Turn over there. God has already accomplished
what the enemy has gone about to destroy. The Lord Jesus Christ
is King and He is Lord. Psalm 97, look at verse 1. I've been thinking upon this
message from several weeks ago. The Lord reigneth. Boy, just
think about that. The Lord reigneth. The Lord reigneth. He reigns over all things. Even
the wickedness of men. The Lord reigneth. Let the earth
rejoice. Let the multitudes thereof be
glad. And then turn back a couple of
Psalms to Psalm 93, verse 1. The Lord reigneth. How long has
He reigned? From everlasting to everlasting.
The Lord reigneth. He is clothed with majesty. The
Lord is clothed with strength. Wherewith He has girded Himself.
The world also was established. that it cannot be moved. Look
at verse 2. Thy throne is established of
old, thou art from everlasting. He's the everlasting God. I've
set my king, God's king, upon my holy hill, Zion. God's anointed
is appointed and shall not be disappointed. Behold my servant,
my elect, in whom my soul delighteth, Isaiah 42, 1. And then it says
of him, he shall not fail. God said, yet, in spite of Satan's
rebellion, Adam's rebellion, all the rebellion of sinful men
against God, yet, he said, I've set my king. I've anointed my
king upon my holy hill Zion. The pleasure of the Lord shall
prosper in his hand. The Lord Jesus Christ is anointed
in all of his office, in all of his office. You remember prophet,
priest, and king. The Lord is anointed, the Lord
Jesus Christ is a God-man mediator. He's anointed in all of his office
as prophet to reveal the gospel unto us, as prophet to represent
God to us, as a priest to redeem us with his own blood, and to
represent us unto God, and as prophet, priest, and potentate
he is. the Most High God. He's a King
that rules and reigns over all things in creation, in providence,
and in salvation. He's King. And He's not King
by something we do. He's not Lord by something we
do. People in religious circles say, well, make Jesus your Lord.
My soul, you can't do that. Who do you think you are? He's
not lured by a democratic process. God said, I've made, I've set
him, I've anointed him as my king. You remember the apostle
said, God had made that same Jesus whom you crucified. Peter
said, God had made that same Jesus, that Jesus whom you crucified,
God had made him both Lord and the Christ of God. All things
are delivered into his hand. God's not in our hand, we're
in His hand. All things are delivered unto His hand. He has power over
all flesh to give eternal life to as many as the Father hath
given to Him. Aren't you glad He has power? What does a terrible, dead, vile
sinner need? A great Savior. He is the only
one that can save us from our sin. One day soon, Every rebel
will be made to bow to the sovereign crown right of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Every knee will bow and every
tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of
God the Father. I want to be made to bow now
by his love and by his grace. Here's the third thing. Verse
7, 8, and 9, the Lord Jesus declares the decree of the gospel. I will,
He said, declare the decree, the good news of the gospel,
coming to save sinners. The Lord hath said unto me, Thou
art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall
give thee the heathen. for thine inheritance, the uttermost
parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them, these
people who are heathens by birth, by nature, by practice, he shall
break them with a rod of iron, that's the gospel, his word,
and thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. The Lord
Jesus Christ comes forth as the great preacher of the gospel.
Turn over here to Psalm 40. Psalm 40. Look at verse 7. Then said I, lo, I come,
in the volume of the book, Psalm 40 verse 7. It is written of
me, I delight to do thy will, O my God, yea, thy law is within
my heart. I have preached. The Lord Jesus
Christ is a preacher, preaching the good news of the gospel.
I've preached righteousness in the great congregation. Lo, I've
not refrained my lip. He has declared the decree of
God. O Lord, Thou knowest. I have
not hid Thy righteousness within my heart. I have declared Thy
faithfulness and Thy salvation. I have not concealed Thy lovingkindness
and Thy truth from the great congregation. Withhold not Thou
Thy tender mercies from me, O Lord, but Thy lovingkindness and thy
truth continually preserve me, for innumerable evils have encompassed
me about, mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, this is Christ
our substitute, so that I am not able to look up there more
than the hairs of my head, therefore my heart faileth." The Lord Jesus
Christ bears our sin in his own body on the tree. The gospel
is an everlasting gospel. It is as old as God. It is the
gospel of God concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel
is the decree of God to save sinners only through the blood
and righteousness of Jesus Christ. That's the decree of the gospel. I will declare the decree. What? Salvation to God's people
through the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And this is
from the foundation of the earth. For the Lord Jesus Christ is
a Lamb slain from the foundation of the earth. Before there was
a sinner, there was a Savior. Before Adam fell, the Lord Jesus
Christ stood as our surety. He's the surety of the covenant.
He's the sacrifice of the covenant. He's brought again from the dead
through the blood of the everlasting covenant. And He's the Savior
of His covenant people. He's the surety, the sacrifice,
and the Savior. Oh, what a Savior we have. He's
called God, our Savior. He's the only well-beloved, eternally
begotten Son of God. He's a true and proper eternal
Son, owned and acknowledged and declared so by the Father. He
said, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. This day of beginning is a timeless
day of God's eternal decree, for with God there is no time. Turn over here to Hebrews chapter
1. And this is where this verse is quoted here. Eternally begotten Son of God,
we see the eternal day of the beginning revealed in time for
what God decreed in eternity, He displayed in time, Hebrews
chapter 1. And this is where that verse
is quoted. Look at verse 3, Hebrews 1 verse 3, Who being the brightness
of His glory, the express image of His person, upholding all
things by the word of His power, when He by Himself purged our
sins, He sat down on the right hand of His majesty on high,
being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by an
inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. Under which of
the angels said he at any time, Thou art my son, this day have
I begotten thee. And again, I will be to him a
father, and again, he shall be to me a son. And again, when
he bringeth the first begotten into the world, he saith, Let
all the angels of God worship him. Of the angels, he saith,
who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers the flame of
fire. But under the sun, he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever
and ever. A scepter of righteousness is
a scepter of Thy kingdom. Now look back at Psalm 2. The Word was made flesh. and
dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth. And of His fullness have we all
received grace for grace. Now look at verse 8. Psalm 2
verse 8. Ask of me, and I shall give thee
the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the
earth for thy possession. Verse 9. Thou shalt break them
These people given to the Lord Jesus Christ, He'll break them
with the gospel, with the rod of iron, that's the power of
His Word, and thou shalt dash them in pieces. Any hope we have
but the Lord Jesus Christ, He'll dash it in pieces like a potter's
vessel. The Father said to the Son on
the ground of His merit, His righteousness, on the ground
of the success of His sacrifice, Ask what you will and it's yours. All is given to the Lord Jesus
Christ as a reward of His suffering and His obedience unto death.
He bought us with His own blood. Know this, He's going to have
what He bought. He bought us. He's going to have us. All that the Father hath given
to me, they will come to me. And those that come to me, He
says, I'll never cast them out. I'll give thee the heathen. Who's
He talking about here? Talking about God's elect. What
are we by nature? Heathen. Heathen. Sinners. Guilty. He gives us
You see, He is the elect. We're chosen in Him. God gave
Him a people out of every kindred, tribe, nation, tongue under heaven
for an inheritance, an eternal inheritance. His kingdom will
extend to the uttermost parts of the earth. Verse 9, the uttermost
parts of the earth. God has a people everywhere,
everywhere, in every nation, every kindred, every tongue. What does He say of them? He
will conquer them. Thou shalt break them, those
given to the Lord Jesus Christ. He's nigh them of a broken heart.
He breaks them with the rod of the gospel, dashes any hope they
have other than the Lord Jesus Christ, dashes our hope of self-righteousness,
false refuge. He'll dash them away and teach
us the gospel. Be wise now, look at verse 10.
Be wise now. I would be led, the willing captive
of the Lord Jesus Christ. How about you? Be wise now therefore,
you kings. Be instructed, you judges of
the earth. Serve the Lord with fear. Worthy is the lamb that
was slain to receive all honor, glory, and blessing. Serve the
Lord. Paul called himself many times the servant of the Lord
Jesus Christ. It's an honor to serve the Lord
with fear, reverence, and then rejoice. Rejoice in the Lord
always, and again I say rejoice. We are the true Israel which
worship God in the Spirit, that rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ
and have no confidence in the flesh. Serve the Lord. Would you be wise? Would you
be a wise man? The fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom. Would you be a wise man? Serve
the Lord. Serve the Lord with fear. Would
you be a wise man? Rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ. Find your hope of salvation and
righteousness in the Lord Jesus Christ. Would you be a wise man?
Verse 12. Well, kiss the Son. Kiss the
Son. That's an embrace of infection
and love and submission. Kiss the Son like that woman
who anointed the Lord's feet with the tears from her eyes
and kissed His feet. Kiss the Son. Bow to the Son
lest He be angry. And you perish from the way when
His wrath is kindled but a little. Would you be wise? Kiss the Son. Would you be wise? Blessed are
all they that put their trust in Him. Trust in Him at all times,
you people. Pour out your heart before Him.
God is a refuge for us. Look right across the page at
Psalm 7 verse 1. Oh Lord my God! In thee do I put my trust. Save me from all them that persecute
me and deliver me. One other Psalm. Turn over here
to Psalm 32. Psalm 32, verse 8. I will instruct thee and teach
thee in the way. Psalm 32, 8. which thou shalt go, I will guide
thee with mine eye. Be you not as a horse or as a
mule, which have no understanding, whose mouth must be held in with
bit and bridle, lest they come nearer to thee. Many sorrows
shall be the wicked, but he that trusteth the Lord, mercy shall
compass him about. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice,
you righteous. Shout for joy, all you that are
upright in heart. One other Psalm. Psalm 34. We read this last week, didn't
we? Psalm 34. Look at verse 8. Oh, taste and
see. The Lord is good. Blessed is
a man that trusteth in Him. Oh, fear the Lord, ye His saints,
for there is no want to them that fear Him. He's able to meet
all our need according to His riches in Christ Jesus through
our Lord Jesus Christ. Would you be wise? Serve the
Lord. Rejoice in Him. Bow to His Lordship. Own Him as everything. in salvation. And those who do are blessed
of God. They're blessed of God with all
spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in the Lord Jesus Christ.